Geek Actually Episode 84 – This Is Not The Film You’re Looking For

Hosts: David McVay, Josh Philpott and Nathan Lawrence (and Nicholas ‘The Little Geek’ McVay)

The Geek Actually Podcast, your weekly dose of ‘the week in geek’. This week David McVay and Josh Philpott are joined by tech journalist Nathan Lawrence for a look at the latest in tech and entertainment news and a review of Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe’s latest love affair ‘Robin Hood’. You can find out more about Nathan at chimeralit.com. Keep listening at the end of the show for the audio version of the latest episode of The Little Geek Show with Nicholas McVay, David McVay and guest Josh Philpott. Your show links follow.

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Tech News

iPad pricing announced for Australia
http://store.apple.com/au/browse/home/shop_ipad/family/ipad?mco=OTY2ODA0NQ

HTC tries to ban the sales of iPads – good luck with that
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/biz-tech/htc-sues-apple-wants-ban-on-ipad-sales-20100513-uyyy.html

What the hell is up with Apple security? Another iPhone 4G turns up, this time in Vietnam!
http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/iphone/new-iphone-prototype-surfaces-in-vietnam-20100512-uya7.html

R18+ rating for games campaign stalled because gamers were too enthusiastic – WTF!!!
http://au.gamespot.com/pages/news/story.php?sid=6262044&skipmc=1

The Internet Censorship Filter may temporarily be off the table
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/rudd-retreats-on-passing-web-filter-legislation/story-e6frgakx-1225859630452

Zynga Games may leave Facebook and form it’s own social gaming site called ZyngaLive
http://techcrunch.com/2010/05/07/zynga-gunning-up-and-lawyering-up-for-war-against-facebook-with-zynga-live/

Entertainment News

Jane Goldman (writer of ‘Kick-Ass’) has been brought in to re-write ‘X-Men: First Class’
http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/05/11/kick-ass-screenwriter-jane-goldman-rewriting-x-men-first-class/

We watch the new ‘Inception’ trailer
http://www.traileraddict.com/trailer/inception/theatrical-trailer

Pixar cancels ‘Newt’, is this first Pixar film to ever be cancelled?
http://pixarblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/exclusive-newt-is-cancelled.html

Oh, Tim Burton… that’s all I have to say.
http://www.deadline.com/2010/05/are-tim-burton-and-dreamworks-plotting-movie-version-of-monsterpocalypse/

We watch and debate the new teaser for JJ Abrams’ ‘Super 8’
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPcta5V5dA0&feature=player_embedded

Short film ‘Pixels’ to be developed into feature film
http://www.heatvisionblog.com/2010/05/adam-sandler-taking-pixels-to-bigscreen.html

Stallone lies? Or is it just wishful thinking from Millennium films?
http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/05/13/rambo-v-promoted-at-cannes/

Shia LaBeouf promises a lot with ‘Transformers 3’
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/13/shia-labeouf-transformers_n_575328.html

‘The Hurt Locker’ producers plan to sue all the people who downloaded it illegally – good luck with that
http://www.news.com.au/technology/the-hurt-locker-producers-to-track-down-pirates/story-e6frfro0-1225865968935

Film Review

‘Robin Hood’ directed by Ridley Scott. The film was written by Brian Helgeland. The film stars Russell Crowe, Cat Blanchett, William Hurt, Mark Strong, Max Von Sydow, Oscar Isaac, Danny Huston, Mark Addy, Kevin Durand,Scott Grimes, Alan Doyle and Matthew Macfadyen.

The story follows commoner Robin Longstride and his fellow archers Little John, Alan A’Dayle and Will Scarlet as they return from the Crusades, pretend to be nobels and get involved in an invasion of England from the French. Along the way Robin finds out about his past and falls for Lady Marion, the wife of the nobel he was impersonating. If this doesn’t sound like the tale of Robin Hood, you would be right. In an attempt to be different, Ridley Scott and Brian Helgeland have basically concocted a prequel to the Robin Hood tale. If you are looking for the robs from the rich gives to the poor, swashbuckling romantic Robin Hood, to quote Obi Wan Kenobi, this is not the film you’re looking for.

Our Verdict: The last minute of the film is the film we wanted to see. A lack of chemistry between Crowe and Blanchett and messy story telling hurt the film. Wait for DVD.

Watch the trailer here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVx3GxiaAxc

This episode carries an explicit tag due to infrequent coarse language.

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Catch the after show we recorded on Wednesday on the same feed as this show. This week we talked about Ridley Scott’s Alien Prequel and the Restoration of Stephen Baldwin plus romantic comedies, it was a fun show and well worth a listen.